Vodafone ZooZoos win PETA award

Mumbai, May 22: Mobile network operator Vodafone has won the first People for Ethical Treatment for Animals (PETA) 2009 Glitterbox Award, for taking advantage of humane alternatives to the use of real animals in their ZooZoo ads.A part of the operator`s latest ad campaign, ZooZoos have replaced the company`s "Pug" commercial to which PETA had raised objections earlier because of the use of animals (including a parakeet and a dog) in their ad campaigns.

The "Pug" commercial led to viewers purchasing pugs, and breeders cranking out as many puppies as they could. Later, when the appeal wore off, the dogs ended up in shelters or were abandoned. "The ZooZoo ads are a refreshing change from the earlier Vodafone (Hutch) ad campaigns," PETA India`s chief functionary Anuradha Sawhney said in a statement. "The popularity of this ad campaign proves that there are many creative ways to convey a message without using animals. Animals used in films are often treated as little more than props, and many suffer terribly behind the scenes." IANS